Penang Prawn Curry Noodle Soup with Chili Paste and Coconut Milk

What you need

• 500 g (1 lb) shell-on prawns, heads and shells kept
• 300 g (10 oz) fresh yellow egg noodles
• 150 g (5 oz) bean sprouts
• 80 g (3 oz) fried tofu puffs, halved
• 100 ml (1/3 cup) coconut milk
• 1 l (1 quart) chicken stock
• 500 ml (2 cups) water
• 25 g (1 oz) rock sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 stalks lemongrass, 2 bruised for the broth, 2 for the paste
• 15 g (1/2 oz) dried red chilies, soaked 15 min in hot water
• 2 bird's eye chilies
• 8 shallots, peeled
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp, rinsed
• 1 tbsp ground coriander seed
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tbsp belacan, toasted shrimp paste
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) neutral oil, 1 tbsp for the shells, the rest for the paste
• 1 handful mint leaves, for serving

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 15 min, then drain.

2. 2

   Peel the prawns, leaving the tails off. Chill the peeled meat and keep the heads and shells.

3. 3

   Slice 2 lemongrass stalks thinly. Blend them with the soaked chilies, bird's eye chilies, shallots, garlic, dried shrimp, coriander, white pepper, belacan and 100 ml of the oil until completely smooth.

4. 4

   Fry the paste in a pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 8-10 min, until it darkens and smells toasty and the oil separates. Take it off the heat.

5. 5

   Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pot over high heat. Fry the prawn heads and shells for 5 min, then on medium for 5 min more, until very fragrant.

6. 6

   Pour in the stock and water. Add the rock sugar, salt and the 2 remaining lemongrass stalks, bruised with the back of a knife.

7. 7

   Boil hard for 5 min, then cover and simmer on the lowest heat for 1 hour.

8. 8

   Strain the broth and discard the shells and lemongrass. Return it to the pot and bring to a boil.

9. 9

   Drop the tofu puffs into the broth and cook 3 min.

10. 10

    Blanch the noodles in a pot of boiling water for 20-30 seconds, then the bean sprouts for 10 seconds. Divide them among four bowls.

11. 11

    Poach the prawns in the broth for 1-2 min, until pink and cooked through with no gray center. Add them to the bowls.

12. 12

    Turn off the heat and pour the coconut milk into the pot and stir. Do not let it boil again.

13. 13

    Ladle the broth over the noodles. Add a spoonful of the fried paste to the side of each bowl for diners to stir in, and scatter with mint.

Imported from asiaflavor.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.